Snake Charmer
by Freethinker037
Summary: Shepard tells the story of days gone by and a very trusty steed.
1. Prologue

The towel flew towards the sink as Kate walked out of her bathroom wearing an N7 issue casual shirt and grey sweat slacks, hitting the switch to turn off the hot tub on her way out. She sauntered over to the nightstand next to her side of the double bed she shared with Kaidan and grabbed the hair brush that sat on top. With practiced hands, she gave her blood red locks a quick tidy-up, making her hair look presentable. After a quick adjustment with a bare hand, she dropped the brush back on the nightstand and stepped out into her lavish Citadel apartment. A gift from her old mentor when they were on shore leave before the final push against Cerberus.

That was 5 months ago, before the war with the Reapers came to an end, thanks to the combined efforts of Commander Katherine Shepard and her team and with the aid of the Crucible. She still couldn't remember what exactly happened leading up to the device's activation. She could only recall up to the point she found the Catalyst. Everything afterwards was a blur. The next available memory was her walking up in the Normandy med-bay, one month later. When she inquired about the war, she got similar answers and expressions. No one truly knows. From what the Commander gathered, the Crucible began to activate, and all ships began to retreat to the rendezvous coordinates, where they waited before a white energy field cascaded through the whole fleet, as well as the entire galaxy. The energy had apparently rendered everyone unconscious. Even the Geth were temporarily deactivated, despite their advanced cyber defenses and technology.

Despite this, little else was affected. When everyone came to, the ships, weapons, and equipment were unharmed and as they were before the rendezvous. Once everyone was accounted for they made their way back to Earth. It was here they found the first oddity. The mass relay they used was deactivated, and later, they discovered that the entirety of the network was dormant and inactive. This confused the Commander as much as it did everyone else at the time. After a few hours of fettling, the network was reactivated and unlocked, and the fleet returned to the Sol system and Earth. That's when they found the second oddity. There were no Reapers in sight. There was only what was destroyed during the initial attack, but the Reapers that were still alive when they retreated through the relay were gone without a trace.

Later, while combing through the Citadel, a search party had found her and Anderson's body in the council chambers. She was rushed to a doctor where she was immediately received surgery. Dr. Chakwas had informed her upon her awakening that she had suffered multiple first-degree burns, broken bones, blood loss, and a whole laundry list of other grievous wounds. The medical team that attended to her had said that her survival was nothing short of a God-given miracle. Once she was stable, she was relocated to the Normandy where she spent the rest of that time in a medically induced coma, to allow her body to fully rest and heal.

Three months later, there had been no signs of the Reapers or their return. No one knows what happened to them but, then again, no one is complaining. They're gone, and the war is over. Now, the galaxy is slowly rebuilding, and everyone is relieved. None more so than the crew of the SSV Normandy SR2. There are celebrations planned everywhere and across the board in honor of the ship and crew that had been at the forefront of this war since Saren and Sovereign. These don't include the ones dedicated to Commander Shepard herself, which are larger and much more numerous.

Much to the crew's relief, however, there had been a recent lull in the celebration front. This means that they could relax, enjoy themselves in peace and quiet, and do something completely left-field for any soldier: be lazy. Lord knows they earned it.

As Shepard stepped into the main room, she could hear talking coming from the living area downstairs. Probably someone from the crew stopped by to relax. Shepard had opened her apartment to her crew as a hang-out spot. The place had a lot of space that her and Kaidan simply couldn't fill, as well as spare bedrooms, should anyone need it. As she made her way down the stairs, Shepard deduced from the voices that Kaidan was having a chat with everyone's favorite Turian sniper and weapon-calibration expert, Garrus Vakarian. The first human spectre smiled at seeing the Turian lounging on one of the couches with a drink in his talons.

Garrus paused mid-sentence when he noticed Kate's arrival. His mandibles flared in a Turian smile and he raised his mug to her in greetings. Kaidan turned around in the chair opposite the couch the sniper sat on, himself smiling at his lover's approach.

"Shepard! Good morning! Glad you can finally join us. Any longer in that hot tub and you would have looked like one of those raisins you humans are so fond of." He greeted jokingly, getting a chuckle out of the couple.

"Laugh it up, Garrus. Don't forget that this is my apartment, and I can lounge in my Jacuzzi for as long as I damn well please." They all shared a laugh. "So, what're you boys up to?" She asks, crossing her arms.

"I'm just waiting for Vega. We're gonna head down to the arena to watch a few matches. Apparently, the Blasto Corps. are gunning for Elcor Elite's time record on the Armax Classic layout." The Turian explained, garnering a knowing smile from the first human spectre.

"Not gonna happen. They still need better team communication before they can aim for the Elcors' record. Where is Vega anyway?" She asked, and this time, Kaidan answered.

"Already called him. He's on his way but stopped to grab snacks for the match. Meanwhile, Garrus was telling me about his first tank." He said while leaning on his knees. Katherine smiled in intrigue at the information.

"First tank?"

Garrus' mandibles flared wider.

"Yeah, Well, it's more of an APC, like the Mako, but, Nonetheless, it was my first time driving. It was during my time in the military. There was a need for bodies to pilot some of the vehicles of the motorcade, and my name was apparently chosen at random to receive advanced training to drive them. So, I do the training, and was soon behind the controls." Garrus explained.

"And knowing you, you were probably as giddy as that Conrad guy was when he met Shepard for the first time." Kaidan joked, garnering a chuckle from Kate, and a look of excitement from Garrus.

"Spirits! How could I not be? A big slab of machinery, armed to the mandibles, and then some! It's not as big or cumbersome as the full-sized monsters, and nimble on it's wheels. It also handled better than the Mako, so, yeah. I definitely had fun back then." The sniper finished as he leaned back against the couch and took a sip of his drink. Shepard was convinced there's more, though.

"That's it? No daring feats, or massive screw-ups to share with your best friends?" She goaded, but the Turian wasn't having it as he lifted a brow plate.

"Daring feats? No. We did as ordered and stayed in rank. Massive screw ups, though? Oh, you're not getting that information without a fight. Or a lot of booze." He returned smugly, knowing well that Shepard is going to have to work for it.

"Oh, Come on." Shepard pouted. "Not even a little hint?"

"Nope." The Turian was steadfast in his decision. Kaidan chuckled at their antics, knowing full well that the two of them can be absolutely stubborn children at times.

"Let it go, Kate. He ain't talking anytime soon." The sentinel placated. Shepard just grunted in mild ire.

"This isn't over, Vakarian. I _will_ make you tell me." The commander vowed. Garrus chuckled again at her resilience, before changing topics. He looked to Kaidan before speaking.

"What about you, Alenko? Any firsts, you'd like to share?"

Kaidan raised an eyebrow.

"What? Like, first kiss, nasty moments, raunchy details about an Ex, that sort of thing?" He asked.

"Exactly. The good stuff!" Garrus answered smugly. Kaidan smiled defiantly.

"Not a chance, buddy. Only Kate can get that information out of me." Shepard smiled victoriously at her lover's claim. "All you're gonna get is the story of my first car and how I totaled it." He finished, leaning back in the chair.

"Wait, you totaled your first car? How'd you do that?" Katherine asked as she sat down on the arm of Kaidan's chair, bracing herself with an arm around the seat back. She was curious to hear the tale of the car's demise.

"Welp, this was around the time I was 18. It'd been a year since BAaT was shut down. My dad and I went down to a used car dealer to buy myself a car. During the time between Brain Camp and then, I had been doing part-time work, and also learned how to drive. Had to keep myself busy, you know? It wasn't easy being stuck at home, not knowing what you're gonna be doing in life. Anyway, so we reach the place, and start looking around. There was a wide variety to choose from. Heh, now that I think about it there was this one car that looked just like Garrus. Blue paint, angular design, not that pretty to look at, and scars across one of the fender." This elicited a laugh from the other two. "I ended up settling on this silver sedan. It was clean, practical, and well taken care of. My dad wondered why I didn't go for a speedster. He even said that he'd have covered the difference for me if I didn't have the money."

"Why didn't you?" asked Kate.

"I don't know. It wasn't really my thing. Anyway, so there I was with my new sedan. I drove it around for a while, and it served me well, until the day I made it through boot camp and got accepted into the Alliance. Me and some friends went out to celebrate. This is how sensibility made me wreck my car. We went to a bar and had too much to drink. I can't remember what exactly happened after. I just woke up the next morning, hungover, and my car was outside, completely wrecked. My dad asked me about what happened, and I told him that I don't remember. So, I called up one of the boys and he said that he had apparently recorded the whole thing. So, he sends me the vid, and I hit play. Apparently, we ended up stumbling out of the bar, drunk out of our minds and laughing our asses off. We were calling it a night when this happened. In my drunken haze, I had apparently had a moment of clarity. So, I say out loud "I really shouldn't be driving like this." But then I had an epiphany and said "Wait a minute. I shouldn't listen to myself. I'm drunk!". You can guess what happened next." Kaidan finished.

Shepard and Garrus laughed again at hearing the reason behind the destruction of Kaidan's silver sedan.

"Ah, that has got to suck. Your dad must've been pissed." Kate pointed out. Kaidan chuckled.

"He had this look on his face, this 'are you for real?' look and said: "This is the first time, I've ever seen anyone crash a car sensibly. How?". I just shrugged, looking sheepish, and said: "I don't know."." They all laughed again just as Kaidan finished.

"That's something I'd expect from Vega. Not you." Garrus said, mid-laugh.

"Yeah, well…what can you do?" Kaidan replied with a shrug and a smile.

"And you were wondering why I never let you drive the Mako." Shepard teased, nudging Kaidan with a hand.

"Shepard, you never let ANYONE drive the Mako. You got to drive the ever-living crap out of it, while I got stuck with maintaining the damn thing!" Garrus pointed out.

"Hey! In my defense, I never caused any major damage, always kept her on her wheels, and I split the repairs with you. So, don't go making me out to be a slave driver." Katherine defended with raised hands.

"Alright, alright, that's enough you two. Also, Garrus, let's be fair. Kate proved herself adept behind the wheel. Seriously, she made the Mako do things I never seen anyone pull off." Kaidan cleared. Kate showed him an appreciative smile in return. Meanwhile, Garrus simply shrugged.

"Fair enough. She did practically make it dance. Come to think of it, I don't think anyone could manage half of the crazy stunts you pulled…except for Joker, if he didn't have that condition of his." Garrus pointed out. "Your first car must've been influential."

"Yeah, Kate, what was _your_ first car? Did you even have one?" Kaidan enquired, curiously looking up at his girlfriend.

"Of course, I had one. How'd you think I got so good at driving the Mako?" Shepard replied in mock offense.

"Care to share?" Garrus asked, himself, leaning forward and putting his drink down on the coffee table.

"That's…a bit of a story." The N7 said as she considered her Turian friend's request.

"Well, you got until Vega gets here." Garrus replied with a shrug.

"Alright, then." Shepard stood up from her position on Kiadan's chair and moved to join Garrus on the couch. Once she was comfortable, she spoke up, again. "Okay, so. First things first, my car's something special. It's nothing like anything you'd normally see anywhere."

"Why's that?" Kaidan asked.

"Because it's an old-school, 21st Century Petrol Burner. It's at _least_ 175 years old." Shepard explained. This information was received by slack jaws and shocked expressions.

* * *

 **A.N.: Cheers! At it again, people!**

 **So here's the deal. I wanted to upload a new chapter to Is It Worth It, however I got hit with a baaaad case of writer's block. I am genuinely stuck. So while I figure that out, I'll be working on this piece here, which was slated to be a one-shot, but grew into something bigger. It's been floating in my head for a while, so I decided to put it down on here. It's something I've always been interested in writing.**

 **To recap: 'Is It Worth It' is still going but will take a while, so this story is going to be keeping you guys happy until I clear this damn writer's block.**

 **Questions to my PM.**

 **Fav & Follow.**

 **Banana.**


	2. Fun in the Sun

"Wait, you're telling me your car doesn't just pre-date human space travel, but it does so by a century and a half!?" Garrus was incredulous about the information.

"Holy shit…That thing has to be the definition of a relic. They also go for a serious price tag. How in the world did you get your hands on one of those?" Kaidan asked, confused at how Katherine had procured such a vehicle.

"Well, if the two of you would stop interrupting me, I'd be happy to explain how I got my hands on a car that was probably worth more than this apartment, and why, despite its value, I hadn't sold it." Kate replied in ire, due to the two men constantly interrupting her. Garrus and Kaidan went quiet and sat at attention, wanting to hear more of the story.

"So, this was during my days running with the 10th Street Reds, back in Vegas. I was joining a friend in the gang on a little outing into the desert east of the city. He wanted to try out a little home-made weapon mod and didn't want the authorities getting involved. Being out there meant no cops and no bystanders to get in our way."

* * *

 _ **17 years ago…**_

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Asked a 16-year-old Katherine Shepard. Her and her friend Arturo were members of a well-known street gang known as the 10th Street Reds, operating out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Currently, the two young gang members were standing within a rock formation out in the middle of the desert, outside of the city, testing out one of Arturo's newest illegal, home-made weapon mods. The location was just south from East Lake Mead Blvd., in the hills. They had chosen the location for its seclusion as there are no other people around to report them or cause problems.

"Sure, I'm sure. I made it, didn't I?" Replied the confident Latino as he checked and double-checked his creation with a small smirk.

"That's what worries me." Shepard wasn't the least bit assured.

Arturo huffed indignantly as he turned on his friend.

"And what, pray tell, makes you think that this is not the greatest feat in human history?" He challenged his red-headed partner.

"That power mod you made the last time, and the hospital bill afterwards come to mind." Kate pointed out, her expression clearly blasé.

"Oh, come on! That was a one-time slip-up and you know it!" All Arturo got was a raised eyebrow from his unimpressed companion. " _Deja de ser una perra asustada_ **(Stop being a scared bitch)**. It'll be fine. I made sure that this one won't blow up like the last one."

Shepard just sighed and shook her head, annoyed that she's letting him go through with this. Meanwhile, Arturo prepped the pistol he had brought with him, attaching his new and improved design to the barrel. Once he was set up, he turned to Kate. "You ready, kitty kat?" Ha asked with a cocky grin.

"To get you to the doc? Sure. Explain to Dennis and the other Reds how you blew yourself sky high? Why not? For this hair-brained idea of yours to work? Not really."

"Psh. Whatever, Puta." Latino, waved her off. "Just watch. After this, you're gonna eat your words like yesterday's dinner." He challenged. Kate simply rolled her eyes.

"Then I should be fine, considering I skipped dinner."

Arturo lifted the modified weapon and aimed it at the assortment of empty bottles, containers, rocks, and whatnot that he and Shepard lined on top of a nearby small boulder, effectively making a make-shift shooting range. Shepard meanwhile plugged her ears with her fingers and got ready for the worst; ready to get her friend whatever medical attention he may need should things go south. Arturo stuck his tongue out as he focused on an old whiskey bottle and pulled the trigger.

*BANG*

A Shot went off and the targeted bottle ceased to exist. The two gang members watched in silent astonishment at the open space where the empty glass container of alcohol used to reside not 10 seconds prior. Shepard pulled her fingers out of her ears as her jaw hung freely open, while Arturo's eyes were dinner-plate-wide, and the weapon hung from his hand by his side. After a moment of silence, it was the Latino member who broke it, with a loud cheer.

"YEAH, BABY! YES! ¡SABÍA QUE FUNCIONA **(I KNEW IT WORKS)**! ¡LO SABÍA **(I KNEW IT)**! ¡SOY EL MEJOR **(I'M THE BEST)**! I AM A FUCKING GENIOUS!" He then went into hysterical, victorious, uproarious laughter.

Kate, who by now had regained her composure, watched her friend hop around in glee at his achievement. She smiled, happy for Arturo, and happy that she didn't have to explain his injuries and/or death to anyone.

After another moment of celebration, Arturo rounded on his red-headed companion, flashing her his middle fingers.

"IN! YOUR! FACE! BITCH! Better slather some barbeque sauce on those words! HA!"

Kate lifted her hands in surrender.

"Alright, alright. I admit defeat. You were right." She chuckled. "I'm impressed. It actually worked, and worked well, I might add." Kate congratulated, and then pointed at the five-story boulder behind the targets. Arturo walked over and inspected the stone, quickly finding what Shepard was pointing out. He whistled, impressed at the size of the still smoking impact hole the shot left.

"Think it's putting out too much?" Kate asked.

"Nah, it's fine. It's doing its job." Arturo dismissed her as he walked back to his firing spot, ready to further test the mod. "Alright, time to see what this thing can really do." He said with more confidence than he had earlier.

"Go ahead. I'm gonna look around and make sure the coast's still clear. That thing isn't exactly quiet." Shepard said as she went off to scout the area.

"Have fun, chica." Arturo said before pulling the trigger once more.

Kate picked a direction and started walking. She started by checking the way they came from, making sure that all the shooting isn't attracting any unwanted attention. Being an orphan under the age of eighteen, the last thing the cautious redhead wants to deal with is the police, especially when she's affiliated with a known street gang that dabbles in the lucrative and not-so-legit.

Once she was satisfied that no boys in blue are going to show up, she altered her course and started walking around the small patch of boulders with the echoes of Arturo's gun echoing of the stone. The rocks in question ranging in size, from small compact car to small office building. Great place to hide something you don't want the authorities to know about. Shepard filed that bit of information away for later evaluation, seeing as one of her roles in the 10th Street Reds is being a scout. It's her job to learn what she can about anything and everything the Reds want to know.

As she walked, she let her mind wander to any thought that came to mind: The gang, Arturo's mod, this location, lunch, etc…. She was so lost in her thought, she didn't notice that she walked all the way around to the other side of the large boulder from where Arturo was. She only came out of her reverie when she nearly walked into another giant boulder that was blocking her way. Looking up at the stone behemoth, she noted this one was smaller than the first, but not by much. It was also leaning against it, slightly. Thinking nothing of it, Kate was about to head back to rejoin Arturo at the test site until her eyes caught sight of a chasm between the two giant boulders, just under where they connect. The redhead regarded this new development with the curiosity one might give a new car in their neighborhood.

' _Screw it.'_ She thought, not really seeing the harm, and proceeded into the notch. Stepping into the threshold, Kate felt the slight fall in temperature. Chalking this to the protection from the elements the location provided, she went deeper in. She didn't have to go too far in because what she found shocked her for the second time that day.

Her eyes went wide at the sight of the ancient container that stood in front of her, it's ribbed surface showing numerous signs of wear and corrosion, though not as bad as it could have been had it not been hidden in this cave. The once bright red paint had since been faded to the point of flaking in some spots. Whatever company markings that had been adorning the sides had long since been worn away throughout the passage of time. Yet, despite the decayed look, the metal goliath was still an intimidating presence.

"Holy crap…what's this doing here?" The redheaded girl mumbled under her breath, as she walked up to the big red box and ran a hand down its side, a large amount of dust and old paint coming off onto her palm. After a solid minute of gawking, Kate quickly brushed off her hand and brought up her omni-tool.

"Arturo! Arturo, you there!?" She frantically called out to her companion back by the test sight. It wasn't long before Arturo's accented voice came back.

"Yo, Kat! Where you at?"

"Other side of that huge ass boulder. Get over here, quick!"

Arturo was confused.

"Why? What's going on? Is it cops?" He asked, starting to sound worried.

"It's something waaaaaaaay better than cops." Kate replied with a delirious giggle. A scoff came out the other end.

" _Esto debe ser Bueno_ **(This should be good)**. Alright, coming over." The call cut out after that.

While she waited for the Latino to show up, Shepard continued to inspect the old container, wondering what mysterious cargo may lay in wait just beyond it's doors. Said doors were locked by old-school stainless-steel chains, but the padlock that held them wasn't. It was probably the single most corroded and deteriorated piece in that cave. She then took a good look at the side. With the aid of her 'tool's flashlight, she started making out the faint outlines of a word. Probably the name of the shipping company the container belonged to.

'… _RODGERS. Never heard of it.'_

Soon enough, the sound of Arturo's clapped-out old truck emanated from just outside the cave, before it was shut off. Soon after that came Arturo's voice.

"KAT?" He called out. Shepard looked away from the container and called back, her voice echoing slightly in the space.

"IN HERE! COME CHECK THIS OUT!" She heard some mumbling, but it was too quiet to here. Arturo walked in a few seconds later, not really expecting anything.

"Alright, chica, what've you got? So help me, if all you found was bo-ho-ho-ho! Whoa! What is this!? Christ, Kat, what did you find!?" Arturo's voice jumped up a few octaves from the sheer shock of seeing the large red box.

"I've found buried treasure!" Kate declared with pride, making her companion laugh.

"Treasure is right! _Dios Mio_ **(My God)** , what in god's name is this thing?" He asked with feline-like curiosity.

"It's an old shipping container." The redheaded girl began to explain. "I had a part-time job at Vegas Shipping & Logistics once. One of the old-timers there told me about his family's history in the field. He mentioned that old containers like this haven't been used in at least a hundred years." This was received by an impressed whistle from Arturo.

"Damn. _Cien años_ **(A hundred years)**. This thing really is ancient."

"I know, right!? I can't believe it's still standing after all this time! Wow… just look at it! It's sunk into the dirt during all this time." Shepard was giddy, to say the least.

"Three inches at least. Any idea what's inside?" Arturo asked.

"Nope, but what do say we find out? That lock looks like it's about done." Kate said, nodding at the old, rusted padlock. Arturo smiled as he walked up to the container doors.

"Órale. Let's help it along, then." With a swift, strong kick, the old padlock broke into pieces. " _Bien_ **(Good)**. Hey, you grab that side, and I'll get this. On three, we pop the lid on this _gran bastardo_ **(Big bastard)**." With a nod, Kate walks over and grabs the other handle, and they both unlatch their own.

" _Uno…Dos…Tres._ " The two Reds pulled as hard as they could, the old hinges groaning as the two doors opened with some difficulty. "At least they're opening." Arturo grunted as they continued to pull. Eventually, their perseverance was rewarded, and the doors were wide open. "Ahhh. That wasn't so hard, right?" He asked as he dusted his hands.

Kate wasn't listening. Her gaze was locked on the content of the old container; the mystery cargo that had now been revealed.

* * *

A pleasant shiver ran through Kate's body as she remembered the moment well. The sensation of seeing her car for the first time, imprinted in her memories as to never be forgotten. "She was covered in a layer of dust that could've choked a Thresher Maw, but you could still make out her beautiful lines on her drop-dead gorgeous body." Shepard remembered fondly.

"Ahem, I assume you're talking about the car?" Garrus asked, worriedly. Shepard looked at him with a raised brow.

"Of course I'm taking about the car. What else would I be talking about?" She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Don't worry, Garrus. It just means she really loves the car." Kaidan chimed in. "How did it feel when you first saw it?" He asked, effectively steering the conversation back to the story. Shepard smiled nostalgically.

"I still get goose bumps." She answered, another shiver going through her. Kaidan chuckled at her response.

"So, what happened next?" The biotic asked.

* * *

The second her gaze landed on it was the second the rest of the world blanked out of existence. Her heart skipped a beat as her eyes slowly traced the body lines, drinking in every little detail. It was an old car; an old petrol burner. These ancient automobiles were considered relics in a time where fusion engines, anti-gravity and mass effect generators were the norm. Of course, it was in no way showroom fresh. The old, 21st Century body was caked in dust and sand. Only small areas dotted the windscreen with any shine or luster. The tires had long ago deflated, and even though they appear like they might hold air, the old rubber was dry rotted beyond the point of usability. What could be seen of the old paint showed a faded surface. Overall, the old, abandoned coupe looked neglected, unloved, and sorry for its self.

Katherine didn't care. Despite the poor state of disrepair, to her it was the most amazing thing she'd ever seen. The mean visage of the front-end design, the muscular bulges of the body, and the aggressive stance it had. It all came together into one amazing presence that took Kate's breath away.

' _This thing's amazing…. How long has it been here?'_ She mused, captivated by the raw piece of machinery sitting before her. She wondered why anyone would leave a car like this inside an old shipping container hidden in a rock formation in the middle of the Nevada desert. Her reverie, however, had been interrupted by the most irksome of noises.

"HEY, SHEP!" Arturo's call couldn't have been more unwelcome to Katherine, especially when it was loud and right by her ear. The 16-year-old yelped and jumped back from the source, a finger coming up to her offended ear as she tried to get the ringing to stop.

Kate rounded on her Latino colleague, with righteous fury in her eyes.

"GODDAMMIT, ARTURO! I'M GONNA BEAT YOU 'TILL YOU TURN ALBINO, YOU HISPANIC DICK!" She shouted her threat. All that earned her was a laugh from the auditory assailant, who raised his hands in surrender.

"Hey, don't blame me. You're the one who spaced out on me. Hehe, I've been trying to get your attention for a while now. What, you get a hard on for antique shit or something?" He teased. Kate replied with her middle finger before focusing her attention back at the near-two-centuries-old vehicle, her curiosity taking the reins once more.

"Any ideas where it came from?" She asked.

"None." Arturo shrugged, uselessly.

"I say we pull it out of there and see what we're working with. C'mon." Shepard suggested, aching to take a closer look at the magnificent mystery that they had uncovered. Arturo could only chuckle at his partner's enthusiasm.

"I'll get the truck in here then. Think you can keep from banging that thing in the meantime?" He joked.

"No promises." Shepard replied half seriously, her eyes never leaving the relic from earth's past. Arturo burst out laughing as he made his way back out to his truck.

Five minutes later, Shepard had the car tethered to the back of Arturo's truck, with the Latino in the cab ready to pull the relic out of the casket it's been buried in for who knows how long. Shepard couldn't wait to get it out in the light as she slapped the side of the truck a couple of times, signaling to Arturo to start towing. The gang member activated towing mode, letting the programming run through the procedures automatically.

Slowly the large vehicle began to move forwards, the tethering cable they were using slowly growing taut. Eventually it gradually came to a stop just as the cable's slack was completely taken up. After a quick check to make sure everything was as it should be, Arturo pressed on. There was a lot of resistance from the old machine, mainly to do with having four flat tires. It was also discovered that the rear wheels were jammed solid and would not spin when truck managed to get it moving. The front wheels spun, however the old rubber that was wrapped around the rears complained as they were dragged across the floor of the container and then the dirt ground, all the way out into the Nevada sun.

"That sucker did NOT wanna move." Arturo said as he climbed out of his vehicle walked over to the redhead as she detached the cable.

"Yeah, well, it's out of there, and goddamn, will you look at this thing."

At this point, one could describe Kate as enamored. Her gaze glided across the surface of the eye candy that sat before her and her friend. It was covered in dust, but that, in some way, help accentuate the body lines of the black beast. Every panel bulged, shaped by designers to give a sense of muscle and power which adorned a sleek body. The roof was low and sloped down the back towards the tail section, which had been accented with a small wing, flush mounted to what the duo guessed was the trunk. The headlights looked like a pair of eyes, and the way they were integrated gave the care a touch of emotion. It looked like it was scowling; angry that it had been left abandoned for the longest time in the middle of a desert. The whole look of the car was tied together with insignias of a king cobra adorning the front grill and fenders, and possibly other areas as well.

' _Wow. What's your story gorgeous?'_ The redheaded teen wondered.

Arturo just stood there, staring at the girl beside him and the look of awe that had cemented itself on her young features and trying not to laugh at the goofy smile she wore.

"You know…if you want, I can give you two some privacy." The Hispanic man teased, effectively smashing Kate right back to reality. The 16-year-old blushed as she leveled a deadpan glare at Arturo and flipped him the bird. "Love you too, chica." He chuckled.

Shepard ignored him and stood besides the driver's side window. Peeking in she could see the once-pristine black leather interior was now looking tattered. Years of no care and slow-baking inside a hot metal container in the middle of a dry desert had effectively ruined the leather. It would need a complete overhaul to bring it back to showroom condition. She then noticed the wheel mounted on her side of the dashboard, which she easily figured was the steering controls. Next were a pair of levers attached to the center console. One was mounted vertically and had a black ball with white stripe in top. It looked like it could pivot around horizontally, but it was currently angled slightly forward. The second lever was the opposite. It was mounted horizontally and offset from the first, had a button at the tip, and appeared to only move vertically, pivoting up or down. Judging by the notch in the console, this lever was currently in the up position. Katy had no idea what either one did but figured that they were integral to the vehicle's operation.

"GT500." Kat looked up from the window towards Arturo when he spoke up. He had moved around to the back of the old car, and was currently hunched over the trunk, looking at something that caught his interest.

"What?" She asked.

"The name of the car. I think it's called a GT500." Arturo clarified. He then looked up from his position. "Órale. Check this out." He waved her over.

Now standing next to her partner, Kate takes a good look at the ornamental piece sitting between the taillights. A chrome shroud surrounded the piece and it had an opening for a key hole. The center section was convex and flat-black. On it's surface, a chrome King Cobra was engraved along with the what the duo believed to be the make and model of the ancient auto: Shelby GT500.

* * *

"The top of the range model of the Ford Mustang line." Katherine Explained. Kaidan's eyes blew wide at the discovery.

"Wait, your car is an older model of the Ford Mustang? No way!" Kaidan said incredulously. Meanwhile, Garrus simply looked confused.

"Would someone care to fill me in on what this Mustang is?" Garrus asked, completely lost as to what his two companions were talking about.

"The Ford Mustang is a very popular sports car back on Earth. It was first introduced over 220 years ago and it managed to stay in production since. It single-handedly started a whole subculture based around the design style of long nose and short tail known as pony cars." Kaidan explained to his Turian friend the significance behind Shepard's car. For his part, Garrus understood the gist of what Kaidan was saying.

"I think I understand, but this whole pony car thing is just beyond me." He responded with a shrug.

"Don't worry about it, Garrus. Just know that my car is based on a very popular platform, and that it's worth more than the two of you initially thought." Shepard offered a simpler explanation to her scaly friend, who nodded his acceptance of it.

"Can't believe that you talking about a car could be this captivating." Kaidan quipped, earning a small laugh from the others.

* * *

"Hmm. Never heard of it, though I never really got into cars." Katy said nonchalantly. "I do know Ford though." She finished as she traced her finger over a second engraving that Arturo dusted back into view.

"Yeah. But, then again, everyone knows about Ford. Otherwise you've been living under a rock your whole life." Arturo pointed out as he wiped the sweat off his brow. Katy hummed in agreement. "Yo, let's check out what's inside." He said, steering their attention towards the interior.

The duo walked back to the driver's side door, but instead of peeking through the window like Shepard did, Arturo went to test the door and see if it was unlocked. Much to the gang members' surprise and relief, the door popped open with ease. After a quick reminder that this car was nearly two centuries old and didn't have automatic doors, the Hispanic pulled it open the rest of the way. The duo both took a step back from the now open car to let the interior breath and let out the stale air that had been trapped inside. After a couple of minutes, the approached the old machine once more with Arturo taking the initiative and climbing into the cabin.

"FWOOH! _¡Más caliente que el imbécil de Satanás_ **(Hotter than Satan's asshole)** _!_ Jesus Christ, it is stuffy in here!" Arturo said as he tugged at his shirt collar, trying to get air circulation under his clothes. Shepard wasn't doing much better.

"No kidding. That container must've been a dutch oven." She retorted, fanning herself with a free hand as she used her other to lean into the car.

Despite the stagnant atmosphere and heat, the two Reds looked around the cabin of the GT500. A cursory glance should nothing that could be out of place, so Arturo decided to try out the two levers beside him.

"So, chica. What do you think these do?" The Latino male asked as he pointed at the targets of his query. Kathrine considered them for a moment before shrugging.

"I don't know. Give'em a try but be careful. Who knows what could happen." She warned. Arturo nodded before he started fiddling around. He decided to try his luck with the offset lever first, seeing as it was right by his hand.

"What doth thith button do?" He asks humorously with a fake lisp as he grabbed it and positioned his thumb over the button that stuck out the end. His smile dropped when he tried to press it, only to find that it had no give. Completely solid. "…The hell?" He pressed it again to the same result.

"Must be stuck." Shepard commented.

"Then I'll get it unstuck." Arturo replied as he popped the joints in his fingers.

The teen lifted a deadpanned brow but said nothing as her friend had another go at the button. He grunted as he used both hands to try and press in the button. The longer he pressed, however, the more frustrated he became.

" _Vamos, pequeño pedazo de..._ **(come on, you little piece of...)** " He grunted as his sore thumbs pressed on. The redhead rolled her eyes at the display.

"Perhaps you should just leave it. It's obviously not gonna give anytime soon." She said as she tried placating her partner. For his part, Arturo gave no sign that he had heard her. He just kept trying to press the solid button. Soon enough his ire reached the point that he started to wiggle the whole lever around. "Hey, don't break it." She admonished, not happy with how Arturo was treating the car. He continued to pull at the lever, completely ignoring his partner. He started putting his weight into it, leaning on the handle, trying to get it to come loose. Shepard was getting annoyed with his ignoring her. "I said, don't break it!" She said as she leaned further in and shoved Arturo off the source of his irritation.

*Click*

The two blinked at the sound and looked down at the lever that they had been struggling with to find that the jammed button was now fully pressed in. Arturo and Kate looked to each other before returning their gaze to the now-depressed button. Arturo noticed something else. With the button pressed in, the lever was now loose in his hand. He blinked again as he slowly began to lower the handle. After a couple of inches, he removed his thumb from the button which extended back out as he did. This resulted in the lever locking into place again.

The two gang members contemplated this new development.

"So…uh…what did you do?" A befuddled Shepard asked an equally befuddled Arturo, who was scratching his head.

"Well…uh…when you pushed me back, I never let go of the thing, annnd…I think it came along for the ride." He replied stumped. Kate mulled it over for a second before speaking up again.

"Try pulling it up again without the button."

Arturo looked at Katy before looking back to the lever and subsequently started pulling it up. As it came up, there was a resounding series of clicks which caused the button to twitch on each one. A light bulb went off as the two Reds looked to each other in dawning realization.

"A locking gear." They chorused with big, victorious smiles.

Arturo tried the lever once more, but this time he knew what he was working with. He lifted the handle slightly and tried the button one last time. With another satisfying click, the button depressed into it's hole. Holding it down as he did, Arturo lowered the lever until it was flat against the center console. He turned back to the Redhead.

"Lahoo-zaher." The two chorused in victory over solving the lever issue. Yanking it back into the up position, the duo looked on at the second lever. Kathrine decided to join Arturo inside the cab for this, so she walked around and entered the car from the opposite door.

"Hmm. These seats are a lot more comfortable than I thought they'd be." She said off-hand.

"No kidding. Alright, Kitty Kat, lets figure this one out and make it two for two." Arturo said, confidence lacing his voice. Kate smiled in agreement as Arturo place his hand on the second lever, which looked more like a ball on a stick to the two of them. "Hm. Feels good. Good spot to put it." He muttered. He wiggled the stick lightly, finding a little sideways play, recognizing the signs of worn bushings. Small jerks in each direction revealed that the stick cannot tilt further forward from it's current position, and neither would it move left and right, sans the give from the worn bushings.

"So?" Came the sounds of a curious Kat.

"It won't move forward or side to side. _hacia atrás, sin embargo_ **(Backwards, however)** …" Arturo pulled back on the stick, expecting it to be as much trouble as the last one. What he didn't expect was for the stick to move back with his hand with a thunk and only slight resistance. "That was easy." He said with a raised brow, looking back at Shepard who simply shrugged before looking down at a paper back book she found in the glove compartment while Arturo was busy with the lever. The cover had the words OWNER'S MANUAL printed on it.

"Where'd you find that?" Arturo asked.

"Glove box." Shepard replied as she gave it a quick once over.

"Anything good on it?"

"Probably, but I'd need to read it over properly to know for sure." She said as she closed the old book and placed it on top of the dashboard. As she glanced around the interior once more, she saw something hidden behind the wheel in front of Arturo. "Hey, what's that?" She asked, curiosity peaked.

"What's what?" Arturo asked.

"That. Behind the wheel in front of you." She replied, pointing at the thing.

Tilting his head, Arturo could see what his partner was talking about. Reaching forward and grabbing it, it came out easily in his hand.

"It's a key." He answered as he looked over the piece of shaped metal in his hand. On one end was a plastic grip, which had a ring and chain, and on the other end of the chain was a small remote with four buttons. Two had markings of old school pad locks; one opened, one closed, one was red with a marking that for the life of him and his friend couldn't figure out, and one that was blue and was marked with what looked to be the shape of the automobile's tail section. He pressed the buttons, but nothing happened. Shrugging, he handed it over to Kate who looked it over the same way he did. "Doesn't seem to do anything." He pointed out.

"Hmm. Probably because there's no power." Shepard guessed. "Although, it looks like it might open a mechanical lock though."

"…Hey, wasn't there a key hole out back?" He asked. Shepard's brows lifted up in recollection; remembering that, indeed, there was a key hole in the back.

"There was… It probably opens the trunk." Shepard said with rising enthusiasm as she climbed out of the car. Arturo followed suit as he spoke.

"You sure that key's gonna work on that lock?" He asked, a little unsure. Kate shrugged.

"If it's the main key for the car, then I don't see why it shouldn't." She replied as she stood behind the car again with Arturo joining her a second later. She located the hole and the key went in readily. "Still doubting the key?" She asked teasingly. Arturo chuckled.

"Nah, I'm cool. Ready to pop this bitch?" He asked with a big smile on his Latino features.

"Hell yeah!" Kat replied with her own smile as she tried the key. With a twist, the trunk popped open, letting in the first breath of fresh air into the storage space. As she lifted the lid, their smiles slowly fell, and their eyes went wide at what they found inside.

" _Dios mío_ **(My god)** …"

"I did not expect this…"

* * *

 **A.N.: Chapter 1, ladies and gentlemen. Enjoy.**

 **Still having troubles with my writer's block but I'm making progress. I'm also freshening up on my Overwatch lore while I'm at it. So yeah.**

 **Anyway.**

 **Fave & Follow**

 **Questions to my PM.**

 **Bananas.**


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